The End of a Dynasty
by Sturtle11
Summary: Titus Mede II lays dead at the hands of the dark brotherhood and the treacherous Amaund Motierre. Markus, an imperial scout and crucially the only witness of the assassin embarks on a mission that will take him into the heart of corruption, murder and treason as Motierre whips his plan for total power into action, crushing all those who stand before him.


The End of a Dynasty

Chapter I

Markus and seigborn patrolled the northern rim of the island of Solitude by the docks. The docks were running smoothly with dock workers, most of whom were argonian, loading and unloading cargo off ships as the boats were gently caressed to and fro by the calm sea in the bay of Solitude. Markus and seigborn did not feel as though the emperor was about to arrive, they had always heard of the grandeur associated with the title, but here he was floating in the Karliah just a couple of hundred feet from the shore. "Why is he still hold up on that ship?" Asked seigborn, Markus had not thought of this but believed it to be a fair question "truth be told friend I have no idea why" both men were now walking away from the docks and along the shore towards the karliah where their post was. "I'm just saying ok imagine I'm the emperor." That image was both hilarious and terrifying to Markus "you? The emperor? Divines save us." "I'm just saying I would be in Solitude drinking ale and brandy, eating as much Horker meat as possible and bedding all the wenches of this fine city." "Ha, a true emperor of the people you would be. Up here." Gestured Markus "we can set camp here." The camp was next to some dense shrubbery to conceal its location. However if you brushed the shrubbery aside and walked a mere few feet to the north the coast was there, where in plain sight the emperors flag ship dominated the scene.

Over the next few hours, the two scouts pitched their tent and rather than using the rations provided Seigborn had caught a rabbit, skinned it and thrown it into a boiling stew pot. Hand cooked meals were always more appeasing than bland rations. The two men stood aside the boiling pot, which like all good rabbit stews gave off a spicy aroma. It was almost night and in but a few hours their patrols would begin where they would patrol the northern coast line just a few feet from their camp. Markus added some more salt to the stew "so" began Seigborn "tell me as your friend and an imperial what do you think of talos?" Markus took a few seconds to compose an answer, Talos was a difficult subject for most nords and was cautious not to upset his Nordic friend. "I mean that's why this war is supposedly being fought, Talos is a hero of your people" Markus further reflected "and mankind, people should be able to worship who they want and it was wrong to sign the white gold concordat, everyone knows it, but" Markus deeply exhaled "it saved the empire and a united mankind stands a better chance against the mer who seem hellbent on projecting their supposed supremacy." Seigborn nodded "well said, my friend. Ulfric is an opportunist, a man who used to be honourable but now he uses his thu'um to shout and murder the high King for his own political gains." "I wish all nords felt the same way as you." Seigborn seemed to be heavily contemplating this war his eyes were fixed to the fire of the stew, the embers prominent in the reflection of his eyes. "Brother" Markus felt touched by that sentiment he had only known Seigborn for two years but away from his homeland of Cyrodil he desperately needed a friend and well they didn't come better than Seigborn. A few years his senior the man had steered Markus through undoubtedly the hardest period of his life, moving away from home at 20, from all you know, to take up arms in a foreign land where loneliness and fear was rife in his mind, to these horrible inflictions Seigborn had saved him. "My brother" he continued "I hope you never have to fight your kinsmen, for every one I have killed by sword or arrow my heart weeps, in my dreams I try to heal them but it is no use and whilst I tend to their wounds a Thalmor blade pierces my heart to which I wake up panting and gasping for water." Markus tried to take in what Seigborn had said the nord had always given a strong and stable exterior but clearly lions too could fear. "Brother" Markus returned the sentiment "if they had not fallen at your blade then you would have succumbed to theirs, this war is a tragedy but a swift end to it and we can revitalise this empire move on and those who sing in Sovengrade will sing louder because of it." "I've not heard a worthier toast for some time." The blonde nord raised his cup into the air "For Sovengarde, for the empire!" The two men crashed the two glasses of water to cheers. An hour passed it was now pitch black the time was 10pm, "right I'll take first shift my night terrors will keep me up anyway." Insisted Seigborn. Hours passed and it was no Markus' patrol. He patrolled the coastal road and it was quite frankly dead, the emperor had been on his boat for a few days so everyone nearby had already seen him, further he was supposed to disembark at the docks in just two days. To most it was odd how he simply just waited in his ship, however, imperial scholars always insisted that the emperor would always build up suspense and allow for time for drones of civilians to greet him. The sight was simply stunning, being a scout Markus had seen many stunning views but this night was definitely one of the more notable. The roads were not just lit with the standard torches but at the beach by the side of the road lay hundreds of candles to lighten the path and for the emperor to enjoy. Markus wasn't used to routine patrols, that was one of the benefits the scouts afforded him there were a range of tasks and duties to be performed, however, normal patrols was something he found less exciting. He was three hours into his shift, it was 1am all was silence except from the gentle sound of the waves breaching the shore. Markus sure of his privacy began to step stones, something he had done with his dad when a child, on the river septim, he was never as good as his father, although his dad was always modest in victory. There was something apathetically pleasing about skimming stones but it was one of life's rare things where no description was needed to amplify its beauty.

It was now 1:30am, Markus was in a state of bliss the initial boredom allowed him to appreciate the sounds and the sights of this morning. However, his ears became alert to a sound by the shoreline, the one he patrolled just a few minutes ago. At first he assumed it must be a seal, but in any case he knew he should check it out, he woke Seigborn just in case. The Nord woke scratching his eyes, "my turn then?" He asked "no just heard a sound down the beach thought we should check it out." "Alright then" exemplified Seigborn as he picked up his sword, "Probably nothing you just want to deprive me of my last few minutes of sleep ay, you sick fuck." Markus chuckled "and incur your wrath, nothing is worth that price." The two men walked further down the coastline, Markus with a bow and arrows and Aeigborn with his imperial sword. The noise had moved from the coastline to some nearby shrubs. The men peeled back the shrubs to find a figure cloaked in black, indistinguishable and barely visible. "You there!" Shouted Seigborn in his strong Nordic tongue "this area is off limits for citizens show us your papers." The figure did not turn. "Oi you daft twat turnaround I will not ask again." Seigborn really wasn't a morning person Markus thought to himself. Just as the figure started to turn, at a tediously slow speed a horse as black as night came galloping towards the figure, eyes red as blood. The figure raised its hand onto the saddle as before either of the scouts could react it was mounted and beginning to ride off. Before it did however, the figure turned to reveal its face, but avail there was no face just a mask, and as Markus and Seigborn looked affixed to the mask the figure raised a crossbow and shot it directly into Seigborn's knee. "Ah fuck!" The large nord cried, Markus more concerned about his friend than the figure lent down to help Seigborn, however he waved him off, "I'm fine" he insisted "catch that fucker." With that Markus turned to see the figure staring at him as though glaring into the gates of the abyss. The figure turned and began to rise off. Markus ran as fast as he could back to his camp where his horse Timber was, he whistled whilst running towards the camp, sure that his pace would see himself stagger and fall. The obedient horse answered his masters call and ran towards Markus who jumped onto Timber.

The steed ran as fast as it could but this pale horse seemed no match for its dark counterpart. As they were running across the marshes east of Solitude towards Markath the black horse seemed to have no burden with the soft damp soil whereas Timber was kicking up half of the turf beneath it, in a desperate last attempt to stop the figure, Markus wielded his bow, pulled an arrow and loaded it into his imperial bow, pulled back the string, he was aware that the possibility of this shot actually hitting the target was slim the turf meant he was bobbing about vigourously on his horse, while the figure was cleverly running in zig zags to avoid any such attempt. Markus released his fingers from the string and the arrow went whizzing through the air, and miraculously it hit the target straight in its right shoulder blade, however it seemed to have little if no affect, the figure touched his shoulder but carried on riding. The masked person then turned after wielding his crossbow and fired it at Markus narrowly avoiding Timber's head. Another shot was fired and hit Markus straight where he had hit the figure. The strength of the bolt caused Markus to immediately collapse from his horse straight into the mud below. His vision beginning to blur the last thing he saw was the figure riding into the distance while Timber, clearly distressed riding off too but in the opposite direction. Then darkness.

The next thing Markus remembered was the same as the last memory complete darkness, however, now he could hear the sounds of nearby people, one, who was clearly terrified exclaimed "Mara! What's wrong with him?" Another more calm voice responded "He's been poisoned and is fading in and out of consciousness if we do not act sooon his vision will be lost forever." A hand grasped Markus' mouth pushing it open and liquid began to pour down his throat. Markus for the remainder of his life could not tell you what exactly happened during those few days of his recovery but the most important aspect was his survival. A few days after the woundshealed Markus awoke this time to see the colours of the room he resided in, although the interior was bland at best he had never seen brighter colours in his life, you never really appreciate these things until they are taken from you. Markus looked at his shoulder and to his surprise there was hardly any mark to show the bolt in the first place. The doctor walked in wearing his yellow cloak "ah you are awake and looking well for a poisoned man." "Sir i must thank you for your healing I owe you a great deal" Markus went to stand however there was still a deal of pain, "easy" commanded the doctor "you are better now but you must go _easy_. And you're welcome Mara shines down on you my friend, when you first arrived here I thought you were a lost cause." Markus rather abruptly moved on the conversation "do you know anything of my friend Seigborn, he was wounded by the same man." The doctor was clearly choosing his next sentence carefully "Yes. Your friend, believe it or not was in a worse condition than you. He too was poisoned." Markus sunk his head "and?" The doctor continued "the poison administered on the bolt was a rare poison, one I have not seen for sometime, only the most powerful of potions can cure it and unfortunately we only had one." Markus rose his head in anger "your friend was really lost to the void, its a poison predominantly used by the dark brotherhood. It traps the souls after they die in the void for eternity." "And you saved me over him!" Shouted Markus while lunging toward the Doctor "He has a wife and two kids, who need him, who depend upon him and you dare revoke that for me! That is not your decision to make!" The Doctor not intimidated stood only a pace away from Markus "As a Doctor" he insisted "It is my duty to make that decision I sincerely doubt your friend would have pulled through, whereas you on the other hand did, I'm sorry for your friend but as a professional I made the right decision." Markus began to calm "Just do your best please Doc." The Doctor nodded and left the room.

Chapter II

Amaund sat in his small wooden chair he and Rexus had spent the best part of a week held up at a secluded room at the bannered mare, trying their hardest to remain undetected and go under the radar. Luckily unlike Jarls and Kings councillors were not universally recognised and thus his undercover status was more easily kept. The sooner I get out of here the better he thought to himself, he knew his contact had finally undertaken the mission but the outcome still unknown.

This was it his whole political career was dependant on the outcome of this day if he won the spoils would be innumerable, however, if he lost and was discovered the ramifications were not worth pondering. He and his closest political allies most of whom resided in high rock were part of a splinter cell of the council, men who yearned for the dethroning of Titus Mede II and the beginning of a new political reign of a chancellorship; obviously one which was heavily influenced by themselves.

It was late and Amaund's anxiety was only heightening with every tick of the clock, if he did not hear back soon his gamble had failed. His mind was rife with thoughts of his execution in front of the emperor where his body would be hung from the Imperial Palace and this tiny room was only helping to facilitate these dark intrusive thoughts. A bang at the door disrupts his negative thought pattern. This was it he could sense it, the moment he had waited and planned for for 5 years, he slowly opened the door and on the other side lay a familiar sight of Rexus but behind him was the assassin the person who undertaken such a monumental task. "Come in" insisted Amaund hurrying the dark figure in, he had a wound on his shoulder but clearly this had not deterred his employee. "So is it done?" Asked Amaund, jumping as giddy as a child he clearly believed the mere appearance of the assassin was enough to logically determine success was the outcome. The dark figure in a deep tone revealed his answer "your target is dead." Amaund at this point was overcome with shock for such a daring plan to succeed no matter how well planned would shock the most confident of schemers. Finally he broke from his shock "Friend you have done a service that you can not even begin to comprehend the whole of the empire is about to be radically changed and the dark brotherhood will benefit from it." The man simply replied "and payment from this contract?" "Ah of course you will find the money in a burial urn of the place of our first meeting. Before you leave your shoulder am I to take it that there were witnesses?"

"There were complications."

"How many witnesses?"

"Two. One almost certainly dead the other not far off."

"That is not good enough" Amaund's voice took a sinister tone , not many would dare speak to a dark brotherhood assassin in such a way "these witnesses will be eliminated or your creed will suffer the consequences. Finish the job you started, this cannot be traced back to me, are we of an understanding?" The figure stood where Rexus had stood, who had quietly been overlooking the meeting, weary of the figures response, lay his hands on his sword poised to draw it, however the tension drummed out, as he nodded and took leave. "Rexus" he turned to his obedient servant soldier "Tonight we drink for tomorrow the next chapter commences."


End file.
